Yep, I've had the stress-related shingles before (coincidentally, right around Christmas time!). If your skin hurts and the rash is on your trunk, it sure sounds like shingles. I don't remember being too incapacitated, so they must have subsided on their own after a while. I remember using Caladryl on them and having to put a soft flannel cloth between them and my bra band. I don't recall that the doctor had anything he could prescribe for it since it's viral in nature. You know, there is a product called ViraDerm on the Internet that is supposed to relieve shingles instantly on contact. I ordered some for my daughter when I thought she had shingles, but it turned out to be contact dermatitis instead. Anyway, the company will let you return the unused portion for a full refund if you are not happy with it, for any reason. It might be worth a look at, even though it's pretty pricey. (I returned mine since it didn't work on dermatitis.) What the heck, give it a try - you'll only be out the postage if it doesn't work. Here's a link:http://www.tag-medical.com/VMain.htm Yeah, those websites try to scare the bejeebers out of you, but shingles aren't as bad as a full-blown case of herpes.